Deep in the rolling hills of Surrey is Grange Park Opera, set in the grounds of West Horsley Place, a magical location where you will find a crinkle-crankle wall, a woodland glade, an ancient orchard with a 300 year-old mulberry tree and a Theatre in the Woods ringing with first class opera. An evening with... The post A Guide to Grange Park Opera appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

It’s not every day you get to experience opera in a magical setting which includes the dishevelled remains of a Blitzed-out house with the sound of peacocks wafting in and out, the distant peal of a cricket match, dogs barking and even the odd bird flying past you. And I was in good company too,... The post Mini Review: Serse at Opera Holland Park appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

David Pountney is a genius. The British-Polish director has transformed one of the repertoire’s most difficult and eccentric operas into a madcap, merry work of art, bursting with colour, humour and silliness. I was both intrigued by and slightly dreading The Excursions of Mr Brouček at Grange Park Opera. I ended up with quite a... The post Review: The Excursions of Mr Brouček at Grange Park Opera appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

Hail to the Tallis Scholars, the world’s finest choir of Renaissance music who were in London last night for their first concert in the magnificent St-Martin-in-the-Fields. It was a glorious programme of Antoine Brumel’s 12-part Earthquake Mass, interweaved with sun-centered by American composer David Lang. Lang is one of America’s most-performed composers and his formidable... The post Mini Review: The Tallis Scholars at St-Martin-in-the-Fields appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

I grew up on regular helpings of Barbe Bleu or Bluebeard as a child, the chilling, grotesque tale of the serial killer who somehow was supposed to appeal to young French minds – together with other delightful tales such as Hansel and Gretel and Red Riding Hood. So, as I headed to the Royal Festival... The post Bluebeard’s Castle: London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

Last updated on March 6th, 2022 at 05:13 pmOh happy, happy me. I’m sitting in a buzzy Clerkenwell outpost by the name of Fidelio Orchestra Café, listening to my first round of classical music since the L-word rocked into town and threw café owners and musicians alike into creative and financial disarray. So, it particularly... The post Fidelio Orchestra Café: a noteworthy musical salon in Clerkenwell appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

Last updated on October 28th, 2020 at 10:01 amWith further restrictions looming in the London air like a thick Dickensian fog, I spent last week dashing around town trying to tick as many cultural boxes as possible.  On Friday, I managed to catch up with some music – and not just any ordinary music. This... The post NW Live at the Bloomsbury Festival 2020 appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

Covid-19 and its pesky restrictions threw a spanner in the Oxford Lieder Festival 2020 works this year, but it didn’t dampen the spirits or the music. The UK’s biggest song festival went online instead, streaming over 40 magnificent recital concerts and events, most of them live and all set in historical surroundings across the city.... The post Oxford Lieder 2020 Review: Song in the Age of Corona appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

What a cracking start to the shiny new Vache Baroque Festival which kicked off with an enchanting production of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. And a double dose of September showers did nothing to dampen the audience’s spirits. We were more than delighted to tuck into the one-hour Baroque fancy in the grounds of this... The post Vache Baroque Festival: Dido and Aeneas review appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more

Last updated on August 17th, 2020 at 09:38 amThis week was one of firsts: I was introduced to the delightful Waterperry Opera Festival; picnicked in a socially-distanced lawn pod listening to Mozart’s Così fan tutte; sampled some of British composer Jonathan Dove’s genius amongst the butterflies and the bumblebees; and got lost in Waterperry Gardens,... The post Waterperry Opera Festival 2020 – Review: Così fan tutte and Ariel appeared first on Diary of a Londoness ..read more